About yesterday afternoon …

A split on the road to open the series?
Best-of-five with home-ice advantage?
Before the Eastern Conference semifinal began, most Canadiens fans would have been content with that scenario.
But on this Saturday evening, there are long faces, furrowed brows and frazzled nerves in heretofore happy Habland.
The hibernating Boston Bruins have been awakened from their spring slumber.
And things could get ugly.

The Canadiens have plenty of time to recover from that shocking loss – their first setback of this year’s postseason.

Game 3 isn’t until Tuesday evening, in the friendly confines of the Bell Centre.

And there’s no shame in losing a game to the President’s Trophy winners … least of all in their own building, in front of their rabid, intimidating fans.

The manner of the loss, however …

That one’s gotta hurt.

It was more than eight minutes in before the Bruins registered their first shot of the third period. By then, the Canadiens had four shots and Thomas Vanek’s second power-play goal of the game had given them a 3-1 lead.

Not three minutes later, Dougie Hamilton scored on Boston’s second shot of the period. The Bruins’ fifth shot was a goal by Patrice Bergeron, and Reilly Smith beat Carey Price with the home team’s seventh shot.

Game.

And, for doomsayers on Twitter, series.

Which is WAY premature.

Boston’s win was a tribute to their talent, their character, their toughness and their absolute refusal to quit. We saw it in the opening round of the playoffs, when Boston dropped the first game on home ice and then ousted Detroit in four straight.

The possibility of history repeating itself is undoubtedly on the minds of the Bruins.

But the Canadiens aren’t the Red Wings. And Carey Price isn’t Jimstav Howardsson.

But there were times, during that epic collapse, when Carey Price wasn’t Carey Price. Three goals on seven shots? That’s an aberration.

And Price didn’t get any help from his teammates, who reacted to the Boston surge with the sang froid and aplomb of Pauline Marois on election night.

As the nightmare unfolded like a slow-motion train wreck, the Canadiens were as shellshocked as Quebec hapless former premier. The Hamilton goal lit a spark that quickly grew into a conflagration.

The key question: Did the Boston explosion blow up the Carey Price mystique?

Through more than six periods of hockey, the Canadiens’ goaltender had taken up residence in the Bruins’ heads. While Price was making brilliant saves – 73 SoG turned away through one OT game and two periods of another – the Bruins were hitting posts and crossbars, shooting wide of open nets and firing pucks at sprawling white jerseys (30 blocked Boston shots in Game 1, 31 more on Saturday.)

This can happen in the playoffs. In 2010, Jaro Halak did it to Washington and Pittsburgh – each of which had more firepower than Boston.

But the Penguins and Capitals proved to be paper tigers, fragile teams lacking a quality that makes Boston special:

Resilience.

We’ll find out in Game 3 if the Canadiens have it.

There are positive signs.

P.K. Subban was held off the scoresheet in the opener of the Tampa Bay series and has points in every game since.

Thomas Vanek finally got off the schneid with two on Tuukka.

Mike Weaver scored and blocked four shots.

The power play – dreadful down the stretch of the regular season and through the sweep of the Lightning – is four for nine against Boston.

The disciplined Canadiens have been shorthanded only five times in the series. And the penalty kill is perfect through two games – including a heroic 5-on-3 disadvantage.

Lars Eller, Rene Bourque and Brian Gionta had their moments – while each finishing minus-3 – as did a rejigged line that included Michäel Bournival, Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher.

Michel Therrien created the latter trio by dropping Brandon Prust down to the fourth line, with Dale Weise and Daniel Brière. Prust is a warrior, but it’s obvious he’s hurting. And his diminished capacity for the rough stuff deprives the Canadiens of an element that’s essential to counter the physical ferocity of the Bruins.

Zdeno Chara, who was plus-5, had five hits in Game 2. Milan Lucic had six.

The renascent Rene Bourque had five hits for the Canadiens. But a Bourque check doesn’t hurt quite as much as being thumped by Lucic or Chara.

The hulking Boston defenceman has laid some big thumps on Max Pacioretty. And the Canadiens’ leading scorer looks like he’s feeling the pain.

Remember last year when we could have been tied 2-2, but then Ottawa got that kicked in goal, changed the momentum, and went up 3-1? I hope this collapse isn’t the equivalent; glorious chance to go up 2-0, and now we’re tied, sigh.

Gooins getting way too many free looks in the high slot, Habs better fix that dam quick, or they’re gone in 5, oh and some consistent 5v5 scoring would do nicely too, and some step on their throat killer instinct, and etc, etc.

I think that Game 3 will truly show us what this team is made of. To see how they respond on home ice after a meltdown is what heart and grit is all about. If they come out flat footed and get dominated, this series will be over quick. We split the series, now the task at hand is to respond with a dominating win in Game 3 on home ice and cast doubts in the minds of the Bruins again.

Phil C. et al, you are absolutely right. A loss can be either good or bad. Sure the Habs messed up but so has many teams this playoffs when trying to hold a lead. Game three is the telling tale. And I agree with most of you, that some line changes need to be done for fresh legs. If Gally is ready, let him play with White and Murray. We have the depth, use it. The guys watching are just as hungry to win as those on the ice. As for Prust, if he is hurting then be a professional and take yourself out. I wish my family can go to game 3 in Montreal:(

Blowing 2 goal leads in the 3rd period of a playoff game is a recipe for disaster. MT & the team need to address this problem & quickly. Not very impressed with Prust’s game & although Bouillion & Weaver have been good, my hope is that MT adds some size on the blueline by inserting both Murray & Tinordi in the lineup agains Boston. They’re both physical and create some havoc to the likes of Chara when he parks himself in front Price.

Let’s face it, we keep hoping and expecting him to carry us, like Roy did, but then he has a game like today. I know, I know, none of the goals were his fault. They never are. It was a deflection, the sun was in his eyes, he was tired, the defense should never allow a shot on goal, etc etc.

Never mind that he’s practically lying on his stomach, and out of position, leaving 50% of the net wide open on 2 of the 4 goals. He looked like a high school goalie at the end. Mind boggling.

Price was good in Game 1, I give him credit for that. Today, he was the reason we lost. Rask has been mediocre, and today Price was worse than that. We’ll never beat the Bruins with Price giving games away.

I hope he rises to the occasion, and leads us past the Bruins, but it’s at the point where what we see is what we get: stretches where he plays well, and stretches where he costs us crucial games. He’s not a difference maker.

I would say the Smith goal was the only one on Price. He got there a split second too late because he hit the side of the net with his leg. Bouillon scored two for the Bruins today.

Price wasn’t just good in Game 1, he was excellent. He stole the game for us. Rask was average, just as he was today. I don’t see how you can put this on Price, you don’t think the entire team had a meltdown immediately after the Hamilton goal? This defense has left Price out to dry, what 85 registered shots in 2 games? Not to mention the blocked shots, posts, and crossbars.
If the tables were turned and average Rask had that barrage, the Habs would have easily walked out of TD Garden 2-0.

I think 3 goals on 7 shots in the third period of a crucial series, against a better team, is brutal.

I think it was the second goal, a Bruin flips the puck on net from the side boards, and it goes right in. Brutal.

On the 4th goal, some Bruin clown tees it up and shoots it into a wide open net, because Price is nowhere near in position. Brutal.

If this was October against Buffalo, whatever. In a crucial playoff series, from a goalie that we’re touting as elite, it’s just embarrassing. I’m sorry. At some point, you have to stop making excuses for this.

3 on 7 is never good, but I think you need to look at the situation. The Hamilton goal, no chance for Price. The entire team melt down after that goal, how many shots did the Habs have after that goal? How much time did they spend in the Bruins zone?

I don’t think Price is elite. He’s Eddie Belfour in my books. He’s a step below guys like Roy and Brodeur. You don’t think Price stole Game 1 for us? You don’t think our team meltdown after the Hamilton goal and the best team in the NHL in the third didn’t rally?

The 4th goal, I will agree with. But I blame the team for melting down, not just our goalie who bailed us out multiple times in 2 games. We would be down 2-0 if it wasn’t for Price.

If we have another meltdown we are toast. If the entire TEAM plays like they did today in the final 10 mins we are toast. Price stopped many tough shots this series Mondou6, remember the save on Iginla in Game 1? Overtime? 48 saves on 51 shots?

Carey Price was the reason we stole a win in Game 1 that we did not deserve to win and were not the better team.

Carey Price did not pull a Patrick Lalime vs Toronto today where he let in 3 soft wristers into the net without being screened.

I agree. I think you will see the Habs play their best game of the series on Tuesday. If this meltdown jad occurred on Home ice and we were heading to Boston for games 3 and 4, this would be a completely different scenario momentum wise.

Any way you look at it, today’s game was a demoralizing loss for the Habs. We squandered a golden opportunity to take a strangle hold in the series. Habs will have to play much, much better on Tuesday night against a revitalized Bruins team.

It was a heart breaker. When I saw Reilly Smith bury that puck, I knew we blew it. I don’t blame Price, this was a team meltdown, plain and simple. 2 goal leads don’t mean anything in the new NHL, especially in the playoffs as the road team. It was a meltdown and not a collapse. A collapse would be something the Leafs pulled, up by 3 goals with 10 mins to go from winning a series and losing in OT. We were 9 minutes away from going home up 2-0, that is an eternity against a team like the Bruins. We had a scary 2 goal lead which isn’t huge in this league. The bounces went our way in Game 1, and went the Bruins way in Game 2.

The issue I can see is that this meltdown will be the turning point in the series for the Bruins or for the Habs.

I’m thankful that we have 2 full days off before Game 3. Give the boys time to regroup and figure things out to avoid these third period meltdowns. Game 3 is huge, and in my opinion will define the winner of this series. If Montreal comes out firing in the first 10 minutes, plays well, and wins this game, all the pressure goes back on the Bruins. I think we will see the Habs play their best game in this series on Tuesday.

I think Prust needs to come out of the lineup. He clearly does not look well. I think we will see a different Pacioretty at home. I don’t think we need to suit up Parros/Murray for Game 3, were 5-1 with this lineup, were at home, keep it going. For anyone thinking Price’s confidence is shattered, I say nuts. He’s grown a lot since being in Montreal, and I think we will see the Game 1 Price in nets on Tuesday. These 2 games are big, the Habs need to take advantage of home ice next week. Game 3 is going to show us how the Habs respond to a meltdown. GO HABS GO!

To beat then Bruins the class average needs to be B+, we are one and one playing at a C + level. The bruins will improve their play. I would be tempted to give Prust a rest and FrBoo next game, White and JT in. Their minutes can mean more. If AG is ready I would work him in for DB, PK needs a tough assignment. Patch and Van need to resurge.
Pleks needs to get greasy. AE needs to temper his stride and angle better, we good.

Lucky to win the first one but for Price and PK, Blew the 2nd one and some people actually think we are gonna win it in six, IMO we gave the series up tonight, I don’t know how long it will go, but we won’t win it. in the end we can say we had gone further than we did last year, so it’s an improvement, move on and hope 2014-2015 will even be better, one year at a time.

Won 5 of 6 games in the playoffs and now the series is over. I thought Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans were fickle. I hope our team doesn’t have to rely on any encouragement from this site to help prepare for Tuesday. Blaming Price and giving up after one loss shouldn’t be made by those with CH as part of avatars.

This is all about “gut checks”. Habs passed their first one when they went into the President’s Trophy winners barn after 8 days off and won a game that they may not have deserved to win…but won.

Bruins just passed their gut check by coming back and winning this game. Recent Stanley Cup Champions tend to have that ability. Take a look at Chicago in Game 6 of the finals last year vs these same Bruins. It happens.

Good thing is, what happened earlier today did not happen in an elimination game.

So now it is another gut check for the Habs. How do they react…seems like there are many differing opinions in the Commentariat. But I will be at the Bell Centre biting my nails and losing my voice….hoping my beloved Habs pass their next gut check!

We all remember him coming back from a broken neck, right? How about when he returned to the lineup weeks before it was expected from his appendectomy? These are the most spectacular examples of his toughness, but he has routinely played through pain and overcame injuries.

I don’t understand why almost everyone is being pessimistic. We came away with 1 game from Boston. We have them right where we want them. Habs in 6. Remember this. Habs will win both games at home. Boston will win one in Boston and the Habs will finish them off at the Bell Centre again.

Do not judge by what you read tonight. Come back here in the next days and you will read the real fans.
Today as is everytime the team loses .We have lots of new but strangely negative friends. And then you have the usual party animals as scotland. If you go and read the history of his comments you will see why he wonders why he is single and all alone…The life of the party !

Habs are doing o.k. Won one game in Boston and we can say mission accomplished. They were better today than in game 1…for 50 minutes at least. Nobody said it would be a sweep either so…Tuesday Bell center will rock !

all the shot blocking is a great stat..but in the end how many are screens and deflections and they end up in your net..the Rangers never won playing that way..you have to play with the puck not chase it..

I totally agree with a few posters..tweek the lineup yes we are 1 and 1 but the play has been tilted in Bostons favour..spending way too much time blocking shots and chasing in our zone..add size the bigger bodies will give us an advantage..proven point today eventually you will give up goals spending many minutes in your own d zone..clear the way for Price with Crank..put some fear into Lucy and Chara..we have he last change at home which means we get matchups we want..

They should let Vanek play on the left next to Pleks. Has everyone forgotten that he prefers to play on the left side??

Stick Prust on RW with DD and Max. Not much skill in Prust, but they just need someone to bang and forecheck anyway. What have they got to lose? That line has combined for, what, 3 points @ 5 on 5 these playoffs? They’ve become the 3rd line.

Splitting up Vanek and Max gets one of them away from Chara, which wouldn’t hurt.

PS: get DD off the PP, SVP. deploy the Briere playoff mystique instead!

Two things we haven’t done yet against Boston that we did all the time against Tampa Bay:
1. Relentless forecheck
2. Be first on the puck
Not sure why this part of the game plan was dropped, but it would go a long way towards winning (convincingly) and not getting too banged-up in the process.

Ok got to snap out of it……………..the series is tied 1-1……..I watched those habs with bobby sheehan (lol) beat those bruins of 71….down 5-2 in game 2 and came back to win 7-5. We went on to win the series in seven games against a power house………we can do it again we will……….the flower is right on….habs in 6

not me I remember being a small boy growing up in north west quebec and hearing serge savard being named mvp against the st louis blues……that was it……..I want one more cup in my life time that’s it for me and my son…….I don’t know if it will happen with the new nhl.

I know how you feel. I grew up in NYC and now live in the suburbs. My brother and I drove up to Montreal and scalped tickets for Game 5 in 1993 – he also was there for Game 2 – but had no idea at the time it would be the last. They should never have left the old barn on the corner of St Cat’s and Atwater! If we are still above the ground, he and I plan on being there when it happens again.

Etchevarry.. What no friends to play with in the Bruin sandbox? Poor baby..you have to resort to taunting Habs fans from the safety of the net. Love go see you go to a bar near the Bell Centre and taunt those fans. You’d need a good dentist. Such a miserable loser.
V.

Another item that I don’t quite get from today’s game was the damn near endless reversal passes in the Habs own end. The longer you keep it in your end, the greater the chance the Bs will take possession. You can rag on him all you want but Briebois would have been making glorious outlet passes. Time for our D to go “Full Breezer!”

Key will be the first ten minutes in game 3..The odds are the Habs will come out flying but they have to beat Rask otherwise i have a feeling if the game is scoreless the Bruins will get a couple of flukey or bad D decision goals… This is how they won 4-1 in Montrteal this year…

Well, I didn’t expect them to go 16-0. I think a little adversity is good to keep them focused and playing hard at home. A loss can also shed light on areas that need improvement, prevent any complacency setting in, and force management to address underperforming players. Considering how they played overall, a split on the road is a pretty good result and can be considered mission accomplished. Time to hold serve at home.

Someone earlier mentioned how the Bruins use the trailer to help their offence, and often this trailer is a dman.

Well, our forwards are being beaten into our zone on the backcheck, and that’s why this play is available to them, and that is totally unacceptable and must be corrected. Even when we do get back we are not picking up our assignments on the back check effectively.

The Bruis are outstanding on the backcheck, and ther specialty is the forecheck! That is the type of 100% commitment they are getting from their 4 lines.

Good point and I read someone (elsewhere) mentioned the same about Habs failure to backcheck consistently.

DD has been actually doing this, something he was criticized for early in the season.

Interesting that on the first Boston goal of the comeback (I think) Eller went for a big hit behind the br00nz net, missed, fell and was unable to get back up ice in time to catch his assignment…result goal.

well the end is near as I predicted, but this hab team is too small. Especially in the 3rd period they looked like scared rabbits, looking behind all the time and getting rid of the puck.
even janet reno singing the anthems wont help.

as posted earlier..
Well the way I look at it the Habs went into Boston against the Presidents Trophy team (117 pts) and are coming back home with home ice advantage in a best-of-5 series.
Habs should have lost big time on Thursday and probably should have won today.

Everyone take a deep breath, relax, the sky isn’t falling.

Anyhow, we have a secret weapon on Tuesday and Thursday, Ginette Reno. Hopefully Lucic doesn’t decide to facewash her before tha anthems!

I was hoping for a split in Boston, well we got it! But we could of had two games, if not for us stopping to play with the puck in their end, and happy to protect the lead which has been deadly in both games.

As a matter of fact, we could easily be down by two games, surrendering leads in the 3rd of both games..

I still say we take them in 6 games, but we must be better in the 3rd period. But I suppose a 7th game in Boston would be a fantastic game as well.

Today’s loss stung, but I don’t think “Les Boys” aren’t bothered. I mean the goal Bergeron scored just defied logic. How did that puck just skip like that???
Back home we go, tied 1-1
This team is resilient, they will be fine.

So we won the 1st game when we shouldn’t have and we lost the 2nd when we should have won. Call it a wash. We still stole home ice.

One thing that greatly concerns me though is the play of Prust. He was a full on liability today. I’ve never seen him have such a rough go of it. It’s plain to me that he’s not 100% and I will be pretty surprised if he doesn’t undergo some kind of surgery as soon as the playoffs are over. I know he’s the type of guy who will play through anything, but he is hurting us right now. It can’t continue. I would think that Moen draws in for him next game, or maybe White. Either one would be an improvement at this point. IMHO, anyhow.

Agreed completely. I can’t begin to tell you how more evident his struggles are watching him live. His play away from the puck is absolutely nonexistent. The loss may introduce lineup changes. If any changes are made, Prust will be at the top of the list.

Pacioretty hurting?
Just shows the guy is not a power forward as he is labelled.
I’ve always questioned whether Pacioretty can take the physical punishing in a playoff series.
Guess I’m right.
Games like these is when you wish Roy (1986 and 1993)was in the nets or even Dryden(1971) or Penny (1985)from goalies in the past who played with Montreal teams that were average at best in those years I bracketed.
Price needs to step it up and win us the games if the team can’t win.
Miracle goalies I like to call them. Anybody remember Bil Randord from 1990 cup winner with Edmonton? Now that’s a miracle goalie as well

You wanna see miracle goaltending go rewatch overtime from game one. Comparing Price to two of the greatest of all time is unfair. Compare him to any other goalie today and tell me who else you’d rather have in nets.

…from the number 3 overall selection in the 2012 draft, and one and-a-half short-seasons later tied one apiece with the number one overall team in the regular season in the second-round of the 2014 play-offs

Today’s not a total loss. I was able to find some solace at the golf course this afternoon/evening. Just squeezed in a quick nine holes in less than 1.5 hours.

Golf aside, I’m sure this afternoon’s result will sting until puck drop Tuesday night. People can spin it all they want, how a split was all we were hoping for, etc., but the fact is when you have a team like the Bruins on the ropes, you need to finish them off. I get parity and how no lead is safe in the modern game, but we needed to finish. A win today would have significantly tested the Bruins resolve. Further, a win would have put an even bigger dent in Rask’s career numbers against us and, by extension, his mental makeup. Again, it’s in the past now, so no sense dwelling.

IMO, the time off will benefit Montreal more than it helps Boston. Price will get some rest and a chance to reset. He will need to be excellent as this series extends. He has been very good thus far, yet despite this play, the Bruins have still managed to score 7 goals on him. It’s mentally exhausting having be so sharp for such an extended period of time. I hope he gets some time away from the rink and unplugs from the world for 40+ hours.

The boys need to help 31 more so than they have thus far. We are giving up way too many chances in the high slot, and the points seem to be launching pads. As they say, good is not going to be enough. Over the next 3-5 games, we must be great. Price, unfairly, will need to be excellent. Boston can win, carrying a goaltender with a save percentage less than .900 this series. We need to exploit this weakness and give Carey a chance to make the first save, while limiting the second chance opportunities.

In closing I’m looking forward to seeing what, if any, adjustments the team makes following the extra day off. I don’t expect any radical lineup changes, however I’m sure the group will be reviewing film and focusing on improving zone coverage. It also wouldn’t hurt to get some more consistency from a number of players including Max, DD, Vanek and Briere…..

I will be ridiculed for this post, but if Montreal continues to play at this level in front of Price they will lose the series. I was thinking during this game, why not dress Doug Murray (Boston is dominating down low and they need somebody who can hit hard in their zone) and I would dress Parros (I know, it sounds crazy) and give him two assignments:
1. Fourth line always dumps to Chara’s side and Parros to hit him. Wear him down, he’s the only one big enough to do it.
2. I would put him in front of the net for power plays.

Sounds insane, but why not. Bruins put Chara in front of the net during the P.P.

Not so crazy given some of the posts below. As Chuck points out, with the last change MT could get Murray out when the matchups suit us. Also, a bigger body is more likely to block the shot, unlike the Cube who tips it in. Point 1 makes sense in theory. The Habs did it to Bobby Orr in ’71, but I don’t think GP has the wheels to get there quickly enough. And, if he does, he might concuss himself again. Point 2 is a good one, the Bs do it with Chara, the Habs used to do it periodically with Robinson. I would just bring up Tinordi to do it who could also fill other roles.

B4 game 1, I was already calling for Murray and Tinordi. Against the toughest team in hockey, we need to clear our own goal crease and give their thugs something to think about b4 they run our goal scorers. Not sure Parros is in any condition to help us though.

Don’t understand the finger pointing at Price, must he stop very shot?
Can’t stop them all when you are not seeing them, or the lucky bounce which was the dagger. As I posted without him, there was no need for the 3rd period, it would have been over

This Boone must have been drunk DURING the game. Price was brilliant again, throughout. 4 goals – 2 off Boullion, 1 when Markov jumped directly into his field of vision, and 1 (technically ‘his fault’) when his skate got caught on the goal post.
Make no mistake, with Price they may upset the Bruins. Without him they would be annihilated.

Anybody care to weigh in on who’s the best bet from the LHJMQ in the Memorial Cup? Not who wins this series and gets in, but who would have the best chance against the two OHL teams and the eventual WHL winner?

Nobody in the Q will touch either OHL team IMO. Baie Comeau is the best in the QMJHL. They suffer, at times, from inconsistent play, and spotty goaltending. Further, they aren’t a big team, so their success hinges on speed and transition hockey. I think they might be leaned upon by London and Guelph. Just my two cents….

boone neglects to mention that two of the goals on price at the end went off of the cube. hamiltons was a screen. price wasn’t bad. it just happens. too bad that it happened that much in such a short time. had tinordi or murray been playing, we would have won. they are tall, and those shots wouldn’t have hit them like they did on their way in. okay, so I am making excuses to get a little size on the back end for the next game. sue me.

Are you suprised about the 3rd period collapse? I keep joking tomyself how good this team would be if there were only two periods…who knows, I prob would have said are you suprise about the 2nd period collapse then

For all of you who are clamoring to see White take Prust’s place in the lineup consider that while Prust has not had a good year and has been plagued by injury, he was a -1 during the regular season to a -8 for White. Even sub par we are better off with Prust in the lineup IMO.

If Chucky is ready, he should play with Pleks and Gallagher. These teams are so evenly matched that a little tweak can make a difference. Boston got a lift from the switch to Mezzaros over Bartkowski. The Habs need to adjust for game 3 as we will probably see another close game in which one or two mistakes will be the difference.

If both were 100% healthy I’d take Prust in the lineup every day. However, he’s clearly hurt. The better question, IMO, is would you rather Prust at 75%, or White at 100%?

I respect your opinion, but having watched him live (game four), he’s labouring just to get up and down the ice. His hits are ineffective and he’s lacking the foot speed to be effective. Again, Prust is a warrior, and if healthy would play on my team any day. It’s simply not the case right now.

“They need offensive-zone time,” he said. “To me, they made too many high-risk plays from behind the goal line. Against Boston, there’s nothing there, there’s nothing in the middle. So you just wind up starting Boston’s breakout.”

McCarthy said the Canadiens need to reverse the puck more in the Bruins zone from one corner to the other, forcing them to react and adjust their overload system in order to create 1-on-1 battles instead of what is essentially a 3-on-5 battle for the puck on the strong side.

He also said the Canadiens need to use the points more to generate shots instead of looking for openings in the slot that simply aren’t there.

How many times in game 2 was the puck thrown into the slot this afternoon and out came the Bruins 3 strong against Habs defense? McCarthy is spot on.

That’s one of the most frustrating things for me. If you don’t have anyone in the slot, don’t throw it there. Keep it behind their net. It might not be a scoring chance, but at least you’re not starting a Boston 3-on-1.

McCarthy played in more than 500 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins, then spent a decade as an assistant and associate coach with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he was a member of the staff that led them to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006. He joined the Flyers as an assistant during the 2009-10 season and stayed in Philadelphia until October 2013.

Playing at home with the last change, I’d be REALLY tempted to put Murray in over Boullion. He hasn’t played for a while, so he’s fresh. He’s help with our puck retrieval in our defensive zone, and with the last change Therrien can get him on in matchups that favour him.

Prust is a tougher call. Heart of a warrior, but after a day’s rest he’s got to be honest with what he can bring for the game. If he’s not AT LEAST 80%, go with White, and rest him until the next game in Boston. Again, with the home ice advantage Therrien can roll the 4th line in when it suits him most. White’s speed would certainly fit well on that line.

Once the crushing disappointment of blowing another third period lead wears off, habs fans throughout the world should get down on their hands and knees and thank the hockey gods for PK Subban.
Boston fans boo him every time he touches the puck, throw garbage at him when he scores and a few of them even racially abuse him on the internet. His response? “Boston fans are awesome.”
PK is a wizard, and his magical powers are reaching new heights. He is also a great ambassador for the sport, and is becoming a real leader. I can see him being captain in a few years.

We lost a two goal lead, then scored, then lost that lead too, and only survived the first OT cause Price played out of his mind. Call it whatever you want. We haven’t looked very good in this series with late leads.

Yep, I was kind of expecting the other shoe to drop in the third, maybe it’s just a survival mechanism, but that two goal lead didn’t seem that great a cushion with shots pinging off Carey’s posts, and Canadiens flailing all over the ice, acting as second and third and fourth goalies.

Besides, I tried that power of positive thinking crap before, and I knew it wouldn’t work, and sure enough it didn’t.

A much less negative About-this-afternoon than I expected. And most posters seemed to be quite philosophical after the loss. The Bruins are a great team, they pushed hard, they got a couple of lucky bounces, we made mistakes. That’s hockey.

I refuse to be discouraged or to regard the loss as in any way “epic.” There are positives – special teams, Vanek scoring, Price’s two and a half brilliant periods. Another positive, not mentioned above, is that Rask’s save percentage so far for the series is below .900. He was about .960 against the Red Wings. So we’re getting to him. We just have to keep doing it.

Next game is about how we rebound from this loss – or “adversity” as the cliché has it. Since the comeback against Ottawa on 15 March, we’ve done a good job in this kind of situation. But the Bruins are a better team than any we faced during that stretch. We need to be as resilient and opportunistic as they’ve been.

Dressing White does nothing. Only increases our chance to go to the box. He’s not disciplined enough. I still wouldn’t change a thing. It was 3-1 with under 10 minutes left. They were getting it done with this line up. You change things up if you are beaten badly. We had them. Regroup as Carey said.

I’ll leave it to the coaches to make this decision, but just to discuss the matter, I think Ryan has been very disciplined this season, he’s done good work when he’s had to play. It’s just that his skating and offence are a little suspect, and we have options when it comes to our forward lines, so he’s had to sit out a lot, and hasn’t had a chance to find his groove. He might come in handy on faceoffs, can push back against the physical stuff.

But who do we take out to make room for him. Daniel Brière? We kind of need his offence, even if he’s been caught defensively a few times. Brandon Prust? How we he take being a ‘healthy’ scratch? Michaël Bournival? I think the kid needs to be in the lineup, we need his skating against the ponderous Bruins D. Dale Weise? He’s earned his spot, no way that guy sits.

Ugh. I want to barf. This game was about as appealing as the tattooed young lady seated behind the Canadiens bench, who got a lot of screen time as the camera trained on Coach Michel Therrien. It seemed like the Canadiens were going to withstand another Bruin onslaught, taking a 3-1 lead deep in the third, but they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, succumbing 5-3.

We can’t blame Carey Price for the ‘collapse’ in the third, since there wouldn’t have been a lead to protect without his excellent, sometimes miraculous work earlier on. He was good, he was lucky, for two and a half periods he played like he did in Game 1. Then he cracked, almost as if the dam couldn’t bear the pressure any more. I’m sure he’s going to kick himself over the Patrice Bergeron goal, which hit him in the leg pad but bounced up and trickled in over his shoulder, but overall, he did his job. Forget about the final result, and get ready for Tuesday Carey.

I don’t know what to say about Thomas Vanek. He may have played the worst two-goal game I can remember for a Canadiens, we’re talking Michael Ryder or Alex Kovalev territory. In a game where the bigger Bruins are running at the Canadiens and taking shots at Brian Gionta and Brendan Gallagher, he should have asserted himself. Not that I expect him to charge Zdeno Chara, but he needs to be hungrier, more intense, he has to show that he wants the puck, and wants to score. It’s a question of degrees. I know his game consists of cruising around finding open space, but he needs to find an extra gear now, try to chip in, to contribute in other ways, while he kills time between goals.

Max was not much better. David Desharnais will always attract attention, being the line’s puck carrier, but he shouldn’t be the only one noticeable, and by such a wide margin. He’s the smallest guy on the team, yet there he is in the corners fighting for the puck against Crosscheck Anderson and Elbows McManslaughter. I hope that Max and Thomas have a long chat with each other, or with their own conscience. You can have an off-game, but not in the playoffs. And you can’t have two putrid games such as they’ve just had, we’ve discussed how these guys have to produce like a #1 line, no excuses. And this has to be the most tepid 2-goal game for this line ever.

P.K. on the other hand, clearly has taken the next step. and easily found this extra gear. He’s focused, disciplined, productive, the player we think we have but who faded away this season at times. Today he shrugged off the attentions of the Bruins to play heavy minutes, set up both Thomas Vanek goals with shots from the point, and only went into his whirling dervish mode a couple of times. And these were appropriate times, when his skating exhibitions can-openered the Bruins defence, as they scrambled to contain him and maintain coverage.

Brandon Prust’s stick early on was where pucks went to die. Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher would try to chip the puck to him for give-and-go’s, but he’d flub a pass or give the puck away. He seemed more assured, more comfortable when Michel Therrien put him on the fourth line and bumped up Michaël Bournival to play on Tomas’ left wing. Once on the fourth line, we saw Brandon taking the puck, putting it deep in the Bruins zone, and forechecking effectively, always a menace to finish his checks.

Mike Weaver was at his best, in a scratching, clawing game. I’m not sure he can be this good in a skating, wide-open game, but here he’s in his element. He might have spent more time on his pants blocking plays than on his skates. The goal he scored in the second is almost incidental compared to the central, titanic work he did blocking shots, cutting off passes, interdicting lanes. Without his efforts there wouldn’t have been a lead to cough up.

Losing the game hurts for more reasons than just letting the Bruins back in the series. Tuukka Rask was wobbling, teetering, he never seemed comfortable or confident tonight. Now he can look back on his effort as ‘finding a way to win’, or battling through adversity, whereas if he’d lost again he might have been damaged psychologically, wondering if he was about to get pulled. We’ll see on Tuesday if he settles down and pucks don’t rebound off his pads directly into the slot anymore.

While the referees called a tighter game than expected, we can see where the trend is headed. Brad Marchand started the game off, on the initial faceoff, by slashing at Brendan Gallagher, with both refs watching, and no penalty called. Kevan Miller had his crosscheck-flex stick out, and he wasn’t even playing defence, such as that is, he would just indiscriminately lay the lumber on any bleu-blanc-rouge jerseys in the area.

And whatever respect I had left for Jarome Iginla is rapidly waning. Having ditched the Flames for a frontrunning stint with the Penguins, he switches horses this season and tries to tag along with the Bruins for a cheapie, Ray Bourque-style coat-tailed Stanley Cup. And he adopts their ethos, facewashing players from behind, and taking on Brendan Gallagher in a confrontation. Nice work Jarome, you’re well and truly a Bruin now. You might as well be an attorney on retainer with R.J. Reynolds, or be the personal physician to Idi Amin Dada.

So the Bruins have won the physical battles, they’re managing to get their thumps in despite an attempt by the refs to keep play within the bounds of the Geneva Convention. And it’s having an effect, as Mario Tremblay noted with mild disgust between periods, there are quite a few Canadiens playing “du bout de la palette”, meaning with the very end of their stick blade. Marc Denis also stated that the Canadiens have to accept contact to make a play, not avoid contact and turn over the puck. As he said, it doesn’t mean you try to match the Bruins on the physical aspect, but you can’t shirk your responsibility to protect the puck.

It now remains to see what adjustments Michel Therrien can make. Travis Moen and Ryan White in, Daniel Brière and Michaël Bournival out? Inject size and toughness at the expense of team speed? Rob Peter to pay Paul? Rest Brandon Prust some more?

So a bitter start to the day, and more than 72 hours to stew over a fishtail ending to a game that Carey just about stole again. I don’t know how we’ll manage it.

———————————————————————–My sources are unreliable, but their info is fascinating.–Woody Paige

A game is sixty min long.Cant take your foot off the gas untill it is over.After the third goal,and bostons response to that pt in the third,WE started to believe it was in the bag, we started to coast a bit ,and bammm, too late…. take the split and play sixty next time.

The Stanley Cup goes to the best team in hockey and the only way to take it is to knock off the best team in hockey. My major observation after the first two games is that if you aren’t going to block a shot, get the hell out of the way and let Price set it!

Yep, I am still above the ground. My wife is worried that I might go out and play pickup and have a heart attack. I tell her not to sweat it. I have made the common mistake of making myself worth more dead than alive!

Ah, as many have pointed out, we have no right to bitch about a 5-1 start. Was this afternoon disappointing? Freakin’ A! Right now, the Habs are a tease. Could they pull it all off? Sure! But with a few more guys, it won’t be in doubt down the road. The management of the team is finally – knock on wood – in good hands.

No need to panic. We got a split on the road. Some crazy goals in the third- bad bounces, etc. Habs will regroup and mash the gas in the comforts of their own rink. The Habs know how to beat the Bruins.

The one point I do agree with is that he is down on his knees way too often and they beat him high. But, having said that, I think there is a good reason. More often than not it is because he is being screened, often by his own guys. They need to either block the freakin’ shot or clear the lanes as best they can given the new NHL rules and let him see the damned puck. Tying goal in Game 1 – Prust has to stop that shot. Game 2 – the Cube tips two in and Bourque misses blocking a third.

Two of the four goals Pricey gave up were deflections off Frankie the Bull but I guess if he was in position he would have stopped the deflected puck, right? Go back to the hole you came out of John Chabot!

Bingo. A lineup with 6 guys under 6ft against the likes of the Bruins doesn’t stand a chance in a 7-game seies….not a chance. Like you said, we had our lightning-in-a-bottle moment yesterday and it got away. By definition, those moments don’t come along very often (ask Detroit). The team needs to get bigger. That’s all there is to it.

We do need more size on both D and up front. Boston is elite and we’ll see where this team is when the dust settles. From there adjustments will be made accordingly for the future. We do have more size coming up but its still 3-4 years away, so we’ll have to shop or trade to fill the time gap.

I hear you. We’re just whistling in the wind if we think we’re going to convince the non-believers otherwise — and that would appear to include the coaching and management group, at least in the near term. Longer term, I think the “bigger is better” (combined with skill) philosophy will prevail. Indeed, there’s already evidence of that with recent draft picks (think Mccarron, crisp, dela rose, Chucky) and the acquisition of Weise. For now though, it’s Land of the Giants, the sequel, starring Gio, DD, Gally, Cube, and the rest of a very vertically challenged cast.

Ha! I was seeing the opposite this season. The data is there for anyone to make up their minds, but me, watching the game with intuition, perception, emotion and complete lack of reasoning, I saw a young high skilled kid learn to deal with tough adversity, suspected he played a little intimidated but finished much harder, he responded to the hit on was it Gallagher, then broke his hand…

The Bruins primary goal when hitting is to separate the opponent from the puck.
The 1B goal, is to wear down the opponent over a long period.
The 1C goal, is to get the Dman to think about the hit coming instead of the puck.

I would not disagree with your selections. The problem for Bergevin is how to move the players out who can’t or won’t get the job done , or compliment the ones that should stay? Pleks is one that with the right players could be a positive. Pax needs to step it up! it is one thing to score goals during the season, it is another to score when it counts most and he is not doing it and he isn’t stepping it up against the Bruins. This is where he needs to show he can make a difference. So far. he is playing timid hockey!